Molecular variation of Sporisorium scitamineum in Mainland China revealed by internal transcribed spacers Y.Y. Zhang1,2*, N. Huang1,2*, X.H. Xiao1,2, L. Huang1,2, F. Liu1,2, W.H. Su1,2 and Y.X. Que1,2 1Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China 2Sugarcane Research & Development Center, China Agriculture Research System Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China *These authors contributed equally to this study. Corresponding author: Y.X. Que E-mail:
[email protected] Genet. Mol. Res. 14 (3): 7894-7909 (2015) Received November 19, 2014 Accepted March 12, 2015 Published July 14, 2015 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/2015.July.14.15 ABSTRACT. Sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Sporisorium scita- mineum is a worldwide disease and also one of the most prevalent diseases in sugarcane production in mainland China. To study molecular variation in S. scitamineum, 23 S. scitamineum isolates from the 6 primary sugar- cane production areas in mainland, China (Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, and Jiangxi Provinces), were assessed using internal tran- scribed spacer (ITS) methods. The results of ITS sequence analysis showed that the organisms can be defined at the genus level, including Ustilago and Sporisorium, and can also differentiate between closely related spe- cies. This method was not suitable for phylogenetic relationship analysis of different S. scitamineum isolates and could not provide support regarding their race ascription at the molecular level. The results of the present study will be useful for studies examining the molecular diversity of S.